Knitting machine and method



April 4, 1944- o. FREGEOLLE ETAL ,3 5,

KNITTING MACHINE AND METHOD Filed Sept. 19, 1942 4 Sheets-Sheet 1Mas/rams:

dimzfilcem fi [MAcAfE G'REEAC April 1944. o, FREGEOLLE ETAL 2345 9864KNITTING MACHINE AND METHOD Filed Sept. 19, 1942' 4 Sheets- Sheet 2April 4, 1944.

O. FREGEOLLE ET AL KNITTING MACHINE AND METHOD Filed Sept. 19, 1942 24 fF 25 23 l/J Ely/5A 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 April 1944' o. FREGEOLLE ET AL ,3 5

KNITTING MACHINE AND METHOD Filed Sept. 19, 1942 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 6 9JFYI/EAITWES: 49 030/71? fizmemzg [SA/90H 6f CREE/v, ,By/ZZA7 fig/gziflw ATTM Patented Apr. 4, 1944 xm'r'rmc MACHINE AND METHOD OscarFregeollepCentral Falls, and Isaac H. C. Green, Pawtucket, R. 1.,a'ssignors to Hemphill Company, Central Falls, R. 1., a corporation ofMassachusetts Application September 19, 1942, Serial No. 458,972

9 Claims.

This case has for its subject matter an invention relating to circular,independent needle type knitting machines adapted to knit at least twoyarns at separate feeding points. More specifically, the case concerns amachine organization and a method for knitting an auxiliary yarn such asan accordian yarn or incorporating an elastic yarn in plain knittedfabrics when such yarns are desirably separately fed to be knitted orotherwise incorporated.

Heretofore, it has been customary tofeed and knit accordian or otherauxiliary yarns at a separate point from the main feeding station ormouthpiece of the machine and separate cam means have been employed atthe auxiliary feeding station for that purpose. That involvesconsiderable mechanism and where machines are complicated the addedparts and controlling means for those parts sometimes make it decidedlyimpracticable to incorporate these features. Furthermore, -in existingmachines such mechanisms added as an attachment are difficult ofapplication and quite costly.

According to the invention herein described and claimed, only one set ofknitting cams is employed and that includes the cams at the main camblock which are standard equipment on practically all machines of thistype. The front stitch cam of that block is made movable to and from aneedle butt engaging position, so that the cam block of existingmachines, with one exception, can be used as found. This movable camfunctions to elevate needles for clearing their latches just beforethose needles contact the center guard cam prior to moving downwardly totake yarn and knit under the rear stitch cam.

In 'additionto the slight modification of the main cam blockconstruction as above outlined, a movable, needle butt engaging cam isprovided, the same functioning in advance of the front stitch cam. Thatcam serves to draw certain selected needles downwardly after they havetaken the so-called auxiliary yarn so that butts on those needles willmove down the front edge of the stitch cam rather than being movedupwardly to a latch clearing position as-would be the usual practice instraight-away knitting on a machine of this type. With that combinationof cams, and with an auxiliary feeding means in addition to properselecting devices in advance of that feeding means, needles maybeselected and so controlled as to knit an auxiliary yarn under the frontstitch cam and then knit the main yarn beneath the rear stitch cam inthe usual way. Thus with very little additional mechanism, main yarnsare controlled according to the usual practice and with the slightadditional mechanism and its combined use with the main cam set, anauxiliary yarn is controlled to be knitted or otherwise incorporatedwith all the advantages heretofore available only by incorporating in amachine of this type a second complete cam construction.

In addition to a second complete cam means according to the previouslyemployed mecha nism and method, it has always been essential to buildinto those machines a. separate set of sinker controlling cams. Thefront stitch cam is so positioned relatively to the cooperating sinkercams if those sinker cams are properly set for this purpose, that theside sinker cam working with the front stitch cam in reciprocatory work,serves as a casting off cam when knitting in double feed work as hereindescribed. Of course, in straight-a-way knitting the sinker cam capwhich is capable of oscillating to and fro, moves with the direction ofknitting or advances so that the side sinker cam over the rear'stitchcam serves as a casting ofl. cam in the usual way. At the same time,that advance of tlie sinker cam cap will bring the side sinker cam overand a little beyond the front stitch cam in a position to act as acasting off cam for use at the auxiliary side. During reciprocatory workwhen stitches are being drawn first in one direction of knitting andthen in the other, these side sinker cams function in the usual way.They are always adjustable in the cam cap and by such adjustment, it ispossible to take care of casting off the auxiliary yarn stitches withoutany additional sinker controlling means.

Now referring to the figures of drawing in which one preferredembodiment has been illustrated as applied to a typical hosiery machine,the invention will be described more specifically with reference to thefigures of drawing in which:

Fig. 1 is an elevation showing part of a knitting machine frame,circular base, cylinder and attendant parts to which the invention hasbeen applied; b I

Fig. 2 is a plan showing the cam means employed 'for controlling needlesaccording to the invention;

Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic view showing needle showing sinker cams and thepathway of sinker butts as they pass through these cams;

Fig. is an isometric view showing knitting at the so-called auxiliary'sid'e and especially casting oif stitches at that side: and

Fig. 6 is a detail vie'w'of a needle and sinker which shows stitchdrawing over a sinker nib.

Now referring to the figures of drawing, in Fig. 1 a typical hosieryknitting machine is shown having a frame I circular base 2 and a needlecylinder 3. The needle cylinder is preferably, although not necessarilyoi rotatable type and is slotted for the usual needles of latch typewhich are independently actuated by a series of butt engaging cams. Theneedles knit in con- Junction with sinkers which are as usual carried ina sinker head 4 and a plurality of sinker cams are retained with asinker cam cap 5 which is to be oscillated to and fro duringreciprocatory knitting as described in United States Patent #933,443.The machine has a main cam shaft 6 with a series of drums thereoncarrying the usual cams for controlling the functions of the machineduring knitting an article of hosiery. A carrier ring 1 has a mouthpiece(not shown) and within that mouthpiece would be pivotally arranged aplurality of feeding levers, said levers being controlled to feeddifferent yarns by mechanism well-known to those skilled in the art.

On the cam plate 8 there are mounted a plurality of cams including amain cam block 9 shown in greater detail in Fig. 2. That main cam blockcarries a front stitch cam I0, a rear stitch cam II, a center raise caml2 and a. guard cam I3, Figs. 2 and 3. This cam plate also carries fixedcam l4 which is a raise cam and is adaptedto hold needles at a levelwhere their stitches which were last drawn hang on the latches. A cam l5serves to control jacks and also affects needles to level them and toraise them to the level of cam l4 during reciprocatory work. Cam l8levels jacks while cam ll which is one of the instep cams serves tocontrol needles after knitting a heel or a toe and also guides thoseneedles all as described in United States Patent No. 2,260,020.

A needle 18 having a butt I9 is shown in the diagrammatic Fig. 3 andunder each of these needles is a jack 20 having a master butt 2!, aseries of saw tooth butts 22 and two other butts 25 and 24, these latterbutts being for the purpose of selection and also for certain otherfunctions not a part of this particular case. A series of selectingplungers 25 equal in number to the number of selective butts on a Jack,are controlled by a drum or other means as is the usual practice so thatselecting movements may be imparted to the jacks according to whateverneedle control is desired. A cam 26 acts upon the master butts 2! ofthose jacks which have been raised, but one of the selecting plungersand a jack thus raised will elevate its corresponding needle so that thebutt of that needle moves in pathway 21 up to an elevation 38. Then thehooks of needles selected in that way follow in pathway 29 so that theytake the yarn 30 feeding through yarn feeding finger 3i. That yarn isthe auxiliary yarn and the finger 39 is connected at one end of apivoted lever 32 which swings about the pivot 33. A second lever 33pivoted at 55 is drawn downwardly at appropriate times by a wire 35. Aspring normally tends to maintain the lever 32 and its finger 3! down sothat the auxiliary yam will feed to selected needles. When it is not tobe fed,

these elements are raised by lever 35 since the -wire 36 will be pulleddownwardly under the influence of certain cams on a drum 31. These camsare not illustrated at this point since they are well-known in the artand their construction is evident in Patent No. 933,443.

A cam 30 is attached to bell crank lever 39 and that lever is in turnpivoted to swing at the point 30. The lever and its cam are supported bya bracket 46 attached to a post 42. The cam 38 is normally maintainedinwardly against the cyl- ,inder by a tension spring 43 connected at theouter end of arm of the bell crank lever and to a post 45 projectingupwardly from the circular base. A wire link 46 also connects at theouter end of the arm 44 and projects through a hole in the arm 41 of asecond bell crank lever which pivots at 48 and has a horizontallydisposed arm 49. To this last mentioned arm there is connected a bar 50which extends down through guide 5| and bears either on the drum 52 oron a cam 53 on that drum. The wire link 46 has collars 54 and 55 whichare adjustably fixed on that wire at either side of the arm 41 of thebell crank lever. A bracket 56 is attached to the circular base andserves as a support for the bell crank levers having arms 41 and 49. Aspring 51 is connected to the bar 50 and to a fixed part of the machinestructure, this spring being considerably stronger than the spring 43.

When the bar 50 rides upon a cam 53 as in Figs. 1 and 2, the mechanismis moved so that spring 43 can draw the bell crank lever 39 in adirection so that cam 38 will go in against needle butts and eventuallyagainst the cylinder. When the bar drops from that cam 53, spring 5'!will pull the bell crank having arms 41 and 49 in such a direction thatthe slack between the collars 54 and 55 will be taken up and pull on thewire rod 46 will withdraw the cam 38. The cam 53 is so constructed thatthe cam 38 will be pulled outwardly in two steps, that is, first so thatit will engage only long butts and thereafter, to such an extent that itwill engage neither the long nor short butts. This is accomplished byproviding a step on cam 53 so that the bar drops first to the step andthen from the step to the drum.

At the main cam block a movable cam 58 is arranged to slide on an uppersurface of center raise cam i2. A spring 59 normally maintains cam 58inwardly against the cylinder in which position it acts as a raise camfor needles and will elevate them to a position in which their latcheswill be cleared. At desired times, the cam 58 may be withdrawn by lever50, link SI and other connected parts leading down to appropriate camson one of the cam drums.

At the main side of the machine one of the yarn levers at the mainmouthpiece is indicated by numeral 52. That lever is feeding a yarn 53which is one of the several yarns which may be fed at that point. Theneedle butts l8 move in a pathway 54 during any knitting in which boththe main and auxiliary yarn are feeding, and such needles as take yarn30 will knit it beneath the point of cam i0. After that all needles risein the pathway 55 until their latches are cleared and then move down asinfluenced by cams l3 and ii, taking yarn 53 and drawing stitches ofthat yarn beneath the point of the V said cam H.

Now referring to Fig. 4, the sinker cam cap 5.

has been shown cut away so as to illustrate the front side sinker cam55, the rear side sinker cam 5i and center sinker cam 88. It is to beunderstood that the usual complement of sinkers is carried in the sinkerhead and a few only of these sinkers 69 are shown. Each sinker has abutt 10. These sinker butts pass along in a pathway H which is more orless concentric except as sinkers are governed by the cams just abovementioned.

It is to be understood that the sinker cam cap is capable of beingoscillated to and fro in reciprocatory work all as described in PatentNo. 2,116,632. In circular work, the cap will be moved around againstits adjustable stop so that as stitches are drawn from yarns fed at themain feeding station and beneath cam H, the casting of! point 12 of cam61 will be in a proper position to assure casting oitof stitches by thesinkers or web holders. When using the main cam block for drawingstitches of yarn fed at the main mouthpiece only, the sinker cam 66 hasno particularly useful function. of course, during reciprocatory work,the cap will oscillate so that on reverse strokes of reciprocation(clockwise strokes), the side sinker cam 65 will perform the usualcasting ofl' function as stitche are drawn beneath cam l0.

Now when practicing the method of this case and when the sinker camassembly has been oscillated around against a stop in the direction ofthe arrow, Fig. 4, or counter-clockwise, the side sinker cam 56 performsan additional function. At that time stitches are being drawn from theso-called auxiliary yarn asneedles are moved down by cams 38 and I0, andthe point I3 the cam 66 becomes a casting on point for previously drawnstitches as the so-called auxiliary yarn is knitted by the abovementioned action of cams 3B and I0 upon the needles. By properadjustment of cam 66 it functions very effectively to act as a castingof! cam as stitches are drawn under the cam In, either in straighta-waycircular work or in so-called reverse strokes of reciprocation.

In Fig. 5 several sinkers 69 are illustrated and these sinkers havebutts l0 and nibs l4. Beneath the said nibs is the usual throat 15.Alternate ones of the needles l8 have taken in their hooks the auxiliaryyarn 30, said yarn floating behind hooks of intermediate needles. Theyarn 30 is drawn over the nibs of all of the sinkers and in thisparticular instance sinker nibs are of rounded construction or are whatis known as standard sinkers. Qther types of sinkers may be employed,for example,sinkers having fiat topped nibs or sinkers having nibs withinclined or beveled edges over which the yarns may be drawn.

In this Fig. 5 previously drawn loops of the main yarn 83 are shown,alternate needles havin those loops about the shanks since they havebeen cleared below latches and intermediate needles having the loops ofthat yarn in their hooks. The loops which were cleared, that is, thoseon alternate needles, are cast of! at this point under the influence ofthe casting off point I3 of cam 66.

The timing of the inward sinker movementunder the influence of cam 13 isso governed that maximum projection occurs just after a cooperatingneedle has reached the lowest point under cam I0. Since the yarn 3D isdrawn over the tops of all sinker nibs, the casting of! of previouslydrawn stitches is done by the combined effect of sinkers pushinginwardly on the fabric held in their throats and also, the pushinginwardly of the course drawn from yarn 30 as floats of that yarn areforced behind intermediate needles.

In Fig. 6 a needle I8 is shown drawing a stitch of the yarn 30 over thetop of a sinker nib 14. According to that practice stitches from anauxiliary yarn may be drawn on spaced needles and the intervening floatselongated so that the resulting fabric will have greater possibilitiesof lateral extension.

Operation Now referring to Figs. 3, 4, 5 and 6, operation of themechanism will be described briefly. Assuming that an auxiliary yarn 30is feeding at the so-called auxiliary side and that a main yarn 63 isfeeding at the main side of the machine, needles are selected by theirjacks as alternate jacks ride up the plunger 25 and then those samejacks are further elevated by the cam 26. Thus alternating needleswill'be raised to take the yarn 30 in their hooks whereas theintermediate needles will not have their latches cleared nor will theytake yarn. Needle butts I9 then engage cam 38 so that needles are drawndownwardly to engage the cam ID as shown in Fig. 3, that cam drawingthem down to their fullest extent so that stitches of the yarn 30 willbe drawn as in Fig. 6. As illustrated in Figs. 4 and 5, sinkers aremoved in just after needles reach their lowest point of travel, takingfor example a cooperating sinker and needle, so that by means of thecasting ofl point 13 the previously drawn loops of yarn 63 will be castfrom the needles, at least from alternate nedles. Of course,intermediate needles did not clear their latches and can not cast offuntil they reach the so-called main knitting point.

All needles are raised up cam I2, and since the cam 58 will be in activeposition at this time, all needles will be elevated above that cam or toa latch clearing level. Then all needle butts will draw downwardlybetween cams l3 and H so that they all take the yarn 63 and draw knittedstitches from it. Casting off at that side is accomplished by the point12 of the cam 61 and, of course, alternate needles will cast oif thelast drawn stitches of the yarn 30 while intermediate needles willcastofi stitches of.yarn 63, those stitches having been drawn when thosesame needles pass the main stitch drawing point on the previousrevolution. Thereafter all needles are raised by cam l4 and sinkers movearound being maintained in position by the concentric cam race in thesinker cam assembly.

In straight-a-way work the cam 58 may be withdrawn, although it is notessential that it be withdrawn at that time although it is essential towithdraw it during reciprocatory knitting. Cam 38 will be withdrawn justas soon as knitting of the yarn 30 is to be discontinued. Of course, thefeeding means for the yarn 30 will be elevated at that time too. The cam38 is moved outwardly in two steps, first, to a half way position whilelong butts are passing it. Then after all the long butts have been moveddown the cam 38 to engage and pass below cam l0, it

is moved outwardly to completely inactive position. That assures thatall needles taking yarn 30 will pass beneath and will knit under am I,that not being possible of accurate accomplishment if the cam, 38 wereto be moved out on short butts or were to be moved completely out all inone step.

The machine organization and method has been described as applied toknitting in which one yarn is to be knitted beneath a rear stitch cam onall needles passing and an auxiliary yarn by the combination of cams at'the front stitch cam while spaced needles only are to draw knittedstitches. That is by way of example only, and, of course, all needlesmight knit at the front stitch cam, or some only of the needles mightknit at both stitch cams. Selecting means may be provided whereby theneedles knitting at the front cam are not the same needles as would knitat the rear stitch cam.

If it is desired to tuck, the movable cam 58 is provided with suitablewithdrawing means to withdraw it periodically, that being possible ofaccomplishment in such a way that tuck stitches of any desired lengthmay be produced. The feeding of yarns may not be limited to a single ateach stitch, but a plurality of yarns may be fed at either or both and,if desired, yarn change may be effected so that striping or otherornamental or varied effects will be knitted. The yarn or yarns employedmay be of any common type and may be inelastic or elastic as theoccasion requires. The invention is not to be limited other than by thescope of the appended claims.

We claim:

1. In a circular, independent needle knitting machine, knittinginstrumentalities and means for feeding two yarns at separate pointsabout the said machine, stitch cam means at one of said points forcontrolling knitting instrumentalities to draw and knit stitches of oneof said yarns, and other stitch cam means functioning to control theknitting instrumentalities in conjunction with part of said firstmentioned stitch cam means for drawing and independently knitting theother of said yarns.

2. In a circular, independent needle knitting machine having incombination a cylinder and needles carried by said cylinder, feedingmeans for feeding a yarn and stitch cam means for knitting that yarn inone direction of travel of the said needles through the cam means andalso when moving said needles reciprocatorily to knit said yarn, asecond yarn feeding means slightly in advance of that first mentionedand a stitch cam operable upon needles and functioning in conjunctionwith part of said first mentioned stitch cam means to cause said needlesindependently to draw stitches from this sec nd yarn.

3. In a circular, independent needle knitting machine, a cylinder,needles carried by and slidable in slotsin said cylinder, yarn feedingmeans and cam means including a front and a rear stitch cam operableupon said needles and causing them to draw stitches either instraight-away knitting or in reciprocatory work, a second yarn feedingmeans for feeding yarn in advance of the first mentioned yarn feedingmeans and a movable cam operable in conjunction with the front stitchcam of said first mentioned cam group to cause needles to be drawndownwardly in a stitch drawing wave and thereby to draw and knit stitchefrom the second mentioned yarn.

i. A circular, independent needle knitting machine having in combinationknitting instrumentalities and means at one point for causing saidinstrumentalities to perform a knitting function and means for causingsaid instrumentalities to perform a second and distinct knittingfunction which latter means includes a cam separate from but operablecooperatively with part of the first mentioned means.

5. A circular, independent needle knitting machine having in combinationa needle cylinder and needles carried by and slidable in slots in saidcylinder, yarn feeding means and a main cam block associated with saidyarn feeding means including a front stitch cam and a rear stitch camoperable upon said needles to cause them to draw stitches in bothstraight-a-way and reciprocatory knitting, a second yarn feeding meansin advance of that first mentioned and a movable cam in advance of thefront stitch cam and so constructed as to draw needles downwardly sothat they will be caused to'pass below the front stitch cam therebytaking yarn and drawing stitches of the second mentioned yarn at thatpoint.

6. In a circular, independent needle knitting machine, a needlecylinder, needles carried by said cylinder, a sinker assembly and camsassociated therewith including front and rear side sinker cams, yarnfeeding means including a main yarn feeding means and a so-calledauxiliary yarn feeding means in advance of the main yarn feeding means,a cam set including a front and rear stitch cam associated with the mainyarn feeding means and a cam movable to and from active position, andcooperating with said front stitch cam for drawing needles downwardly totake and knit the yarn fed by said auxiliary feeding means, theconstruction being such that two yarns are simultaneously fed andseparately knitted and that the said side sinker cams function to castoff stitches.

7. A circular, independent needle knitting machine having in combinationa cylinder, needles in said cylinder, a main yarn feeding means and aso-called auxiliary feeding means, cam means for the main yarn feedingmeans including a front and a rear stitch cam, a sinker assembly andcams for sinkers including front and rear, side sinker cams, theauxiliary feeding means being positioned in advance of the firstmentioned feeding means and having associated therewith a cam fordrawing needles downwardly in advance of the front stitch cam so thatneedles may drawn yarn and knit beneath said front stitch cam, theconstruction further being such that during straight-a-way knitting thefront sinker cam will function to cast off stitches drawn beneath thefront stitch cam while the rear sinker cam casts 01f stitches drawnbeneath the rear stitch cam and that during reciprocatory work, thesinker cams function to cast off stitches, one for one direction ofknitting and the other for the other direction of knitting.

8. A circular, independent needle knitting machine having in combinationa cylinder, needles in said cylinder, a main yarn feeding means and aso-called auxiliary feeding means, cam means ,for the main yarn feedingmeans including a front and a rear stitch cam and a movable clearing cambetween said front and rear stitch earn, a sinker assembly and cams forsinkers includin front and rear, side sinker cams, the auxiliary feedingmeans being positioned in advance of the first mentioned feeding meansand having associated therewith a cam for drawing needles downwardly inadvance of the front stitch cam so that needles may draw yarn and knitbeneath said front stitch cam, the construction further being such thatduring straight-a-way knitting the front sinker cam will function tocast off stitches drawn beneath the front stitch cam while a-way andreoiprocatory knitting, a second yarn feeding means in advance of saidfirst mentioned feeding means, selecting means for raising predeterminedneedles and a movable cam for drawing those needles downwardly aftertaking yarn from the second feeding means to a point where said needleswill be engaged-and drawn down by the front stitch cam thereby to drawknitted stitches of the second mentioned yarn.

OSCAR FREGEOLLE. ISAAC H. C. GREEN.

